


countdown until the end of the world

by divingred



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Alpha Session, Au memories, M/M, Slow Build, Xeno, technically canon-parallel?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-23
Updated: 2018-03-30
Packaged: 2019-04-06 21:57:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 17,291
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14066457
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/divingred/pseuds/divingred
Summary: You’ve seen them before, in countless dreams like this, but this is the first time they’re so clear. They’re so big, they seem almost inhuman, not to mention their color. Deep black pupils against golden, almost glowing, sclera. Even though they’re nothing like a pair of human eyes, there’s a softness there. This is someone who cares about you. You don’t want to look away.Your name is Dave Strider and you feel like you’re forgetting something important.((au where alpha dave picks up a certain troll))





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> i changed the title and added a summary because; well shit i guess this is going to be longer than one chapter lmao!

It’s dark and the air is stale. The floor is made of cheap rotting tiles, and the walls are solid and cold. Wires hang from overhead, tangling above dim lights. You get the sense you’re in some strange laboratory. You’ve never seen this place before, but it doesn’t feel unfamiliar. You’re not alone either, there’s others there. 

You see your hands in front of you drawing out boxes in chalk, your knees cold from the hard floor. Hopscotch? It’s all foggy, blurred faces and unclear details. You hear voices, the sound of protests and banter. You don’t know what’s going on, but you feel like you’re having fun.

You look up from your masterpiece, a hopscotch grid in the shape of a dick, and there’s a pair of large eyes staring straight at you. You’ve seen them before, in countless dreams like this, but this is the first time they’re so clear. They’re so big, they seem almost inhuman, not to mention their color. Deep black pupils against golden, almost glowing, sclera. Even though they’re nothing like a pair of human eyes, there’s a softness there. This is someone who cares about you. You don’t want to look away.

 

\---

Your phone buzzes and you startle awake in your bed. Gog, shit. It’s so bright out.

Your name is Dave Strider and you feel like you’re forgetting something important.

Ah, whatever. You kick off the covers and stretch your feet. It’s already noon and even though it’s late fall, your apartment in Houston is pretty warm. That damn Texas sun is blasting through your window, no amount of smog or pollution getting in it’s way. You reach over and grab your signature shades from the bed stand. Shade falls over your eyes and ah... that feels much better. You grab your phone and open up some texts from your sister.

tentacleTherapist [TT] began pestering turntechGodhead [TG]

TT: Have you gathered all the necessary supplies? 

You scratch at your head. It’s too early for Rose’s incessant nagging disguised as questions. Actually, you have a question of your own.

TG: do kids play hopscotch? 

TT: … “Kids” as in plural? I believe they do, although it is not as popular with children in our era. Why hopscotch? I’m not sure games will help him. 

TG: i think im gettin some spooky visions of my own 

TG: some dark dank monsters whispering to me in MY sleep this time 

TG: they say get the chalk! some dick-shaped hopscotch with a mystery friend is all you need for a glorious evening of fun 

TT: Hm. Dave, as much as I love to psychoanalyze your dreams, this one seems pretty blatantly referring to your sexuality. 

TG: hey fuck you 

TG: i have a good feeling about this 

TG: maybe imma go out and try this hopscotch thing for myself 

TT: Dave we don’t have time to fool around like this, we have to set up our homes for our descendants survival. We must ensure they have everything they need to subsist without us. 

TG: yeah yeah but like 

TG: rose 

TG: is he really gonna be alone? 

TT: That’s what I see, yes. 

TG: damn 

TG: see thats sad 

TG: i just wanna give him some fun you know? 

TT: … Fun. 

TG: rose its a kid not a robot hes gonna go crazy by himself 

TT: He’ll have my descendant, as well as two others to correspond with. 

TG: yeah but like 

TG: sigh 

TG: i guess 

TG: i still wanna leave him something 

TG: like hobbies or something to do 

TG: just so he can have some escape from this bullshit 

TT: … And you’re suggesting hopscotch? 

TG: it was fun in my dream 

TT: Hopscotch is not traditionally a single player game, were you with someone?

You press your palm against your forehead, chasing this foggy memory. Were you alone?

TG: … i dont remember but this feels… important 

TG: imma go out and do it 

TT: I suppose there’s no harm in spending your day off as you wish. Just don’t forget, this child’s survival depends on you.

 

\---

Now that you’re outside, you really feel the sun beating down on you. The air is thick and hard to breathe. You dip into an alleyway beside your apartment for some much appreciated shade. There’s no one around, but that’s hardly surprising. Less and less people are willing to be out in broad daylight where some drone could pick you off. But you’re Dave-fucking-Strider, and some weird dream told you to play some hopscotch so by gog you’re going to play some damn hopscotch.

You draw out the boxes on the concrete, forming a straight line down to the base, where you draw two side by side. Hell yeah, this will be so funny when you troll what’s-his-face into thinking this is really how kids play children games. 

Except there’s no one else around.

Yeah, suddenly Rose has a good point. Hopscotch for one is pretty lame. 

You stand up and brush the chalk from your jeans when you hear a clatter from behind some nearby trash cans. Instinctively, you pull your sword from your strife specibus. The alley is a little too dark and narrow, so you keep your blade close, and take careful steps forward. A drone? Seems too small. No reasonable human would be sneaking around alleyways, and there’s not really any wild animals anymore. You take a deep breath and flashstep around the garbage. Whatever you were expecting, it certainly wasn’t… that.

Curled up in a pile of trash lies a… thing? It looks like a human, but it’s skin is grey. It’s hair is jet black and wirey, sticking up in tufts pointing in wild directions. Two candy corn colored horns just barely peek out of the crow’s nest of a head. You can definitely see yellow claws on the thing, it’s arms wrapped around itself, with its head buried in them. The most disturbing thing is the deep gashes along its body, ripping its clothes and bleeding fresh blood.

“Shit, are you ok-” That’s about all you can get out before it jolts up, straightening its back and sitting up to stare right at you. It’s eyes are the same as the golden ones in your dream, except any sort of hint of fondness is replaced with hostility. It has an almost animalistic aura as it pulls back dark lips and bears sharp fangs at you, hissing and growling.

You’d almost be scared of it if it didn’t immediately wince in pain from its injuries. It slumps down again, but keeps its eyes on you. You wait, but it’s obvious enough this thing won’t attack you first. It seems like it’s so hurt it couldn’t attack you even if it wanted.

You don’t know why, but you tuck your sword away. The thing jumps a little, clearly surprised. It doesn’t stop growling though. You lower yourself to his level and raise your hands, showing you’re not hiding anything. Very slowly, you pull out some medical supplies from your sylladex. It stops growling, and looks at you with confusion. Ok, so it seems to know what this stuff is.

You inch forward a bit, the thing stares at you, but doesn’t move. When you get closer you see that, yeah, shit, this thing is in pretty bad condition. You set out your supplies; some bandages, ointment, and a water bottle. You look at the creature, silently asking for permission. It gives a slight nod, and you reach forward to start cleaning the cuts on his arm. 

“What are you doing?” You jump at that. So this thing can talk, that means it’s is more human than creature. He (you assume it’s a he) looks at you with skepticism. Jeez, do you really look that untrustworthy? Maybe the whole sunglasses-in-the-dark thing isn’t helping.

“Just helping a bro out. Chill.”

He squints at you, he seems unsatisfied with that answer. Well, whatever. He’s going to have to deal with it. You keep working on his injuries, seeing that he’s got some pretty nasty bruises. A fractured wrist for sure. You wish you had a needle and thread for some of the bigger cuts. He seems pretty out of it from all the blood he lost.

“The name’s Strider.” You offer, you want to make sure he’s conscious and didn’t hit his head or anything.

“... Vantas.” That name sounds familiar. Everything about this alien creature seems familiar, strangely enough.

“Cool.” You leave it at that. You work in silence, Vantas relaxing as he sees you working away. After you finish doing all you can, and the poor thing isn’t bleeding out of every apentage, you stand up. He looks up at you, a little puzzled, and you smirk. You pull your shitty skateboard out of your sylladex and give a small wave with the flick of your hand before you turn your back completely and abscond out of the alleyway.

You don’t get very far down the street when you hear a crash behind you. You turn around and see Vantas tripping over some garbage cans, cursing loudly and glaring down at your direction. You hear shouts of GET BACK HERE YOU DOUCHEBAG and wonder if he knows how loud he is or if he really just doesn’t care about the drones. Rolling back down the street, you give your best poker face.

“Dude, you ok?” You give a small casual nod.

“Fuck off,” He growls, “What kind of idiot helps a complete stranger, a complete stranger whose even the same species as the insane dictator trying to take over his planet, and doesn’t ask any questions?”

“Whoa, you’re like, fish hitler’s cousin?” You blink at him, your shades hiding your surprise. While it didn’t surprise you he was an alien, he didn’t really look like Batterwitch. For one he was… like really short. Not threatening at all. He did have horns, but they were nubs in comparison to hers.

Vantas rolls his eyes, “No you dipshit, I’m a troll. We don’t have the same human family class systems, but I can assure you I’m as far away from her genetics as possible.”

“I thought fish hitler’s pet squid-kraken-monster killed her attempts to make more trolls.” He shifts on his feet, looking away. He seems to struggle with words, opening and closing his mouth. He finally looks up at you, glaring daggers at you.

“Yeah, well, I’m a mutant. It took one look at my blood and thought I was some fucked up human. It dumped me into some human slums and the Condesce thought I was as good as dead and didn’t bother to look for me. I was lucky enough that my lusus found me and raised me on the downlow for a while.” Vantas bites his lip and looks at his feet, “Well… until recently, the drones found me decided to fucking finish the job.”

“Oh,” You say unsure, “Sounds… tough.” Right, great reply there cool guy.

“So,” He thankfully brushes over your comment, “Who the fuck are you? Strider?”

“I’m just your average hot shot movie director, of the popular SBHJ series.” You say smirking a little. Yeah it’s a little lame to be proud of your shitty ironic movies, but there’s a message in them you swear. By the time his watchers get to the 5th movie they’ll be in for plot twist.

“Oh you’re kidding me,” He says, recognition setting into his expression, “That trash? So you’re THE Dave Strider?” Suddenly, the edges of your lips jerk upwards. The sound of your name sounds so… right coming from this guy.

“Yup, thats me.” You say, forcing your smile back into a smirk, “I’d love to stick around and sign something for a fan but uh, I actually have some stuff to do.”

“Oh,” He says softly, “Yeah, sorry to hold you up.” He takes a step back and gives you such a pitiful look. “Thanks. For uh, helping me.” 

“Do you want to come with me?” You blurt out. What? You don’t even know the guy, he was just some dude dying in your alley. But it feels like there’s a magnet drawing you towards him. He’s weird; grey skin, yellow eyes, brightly colored horns. It’s like everything about him is screaming alien! Danger, danger! But somehow, Vantas doesn’t feel dangerous at all. He feels like someone you’ve known for a long time.

He looks up at you, something in his eyes you can’t quite place. Hope? He nods slowly, “I don’t have anywhere else to go now…” He trails off.

“Great.” Before he can protest, you slip your arm under his and lift him up so his weight is on you. He’s short, but under his baggy sweater you feel he’s too lean as well. Clearly underfed, and as a result he lifts pretty easy. He hisses in pain, probably from being moved too suddenly. You bite your lip and wince in sympathy. He growls lightly, and smacks your shoulder, but holds onto you. You kick your skateboard back and hold your new alien friend tight and abscond again.

 

\---

“So where are we going?”

You glance down at Vantas, who is currently clinging onto your side for dear life. Maybe it wasn’t the best idea to take a critically injured person on a joyride with a magic flying skateboard, but trolls must be made of sturdier stuff because he seems ok. “I’m looking for some supplies.”

“Stop being a vague asshole and just tell me!” He cries out. His claws are digging into your sides and it’s getting a bit uncomfortable, but his expression is just so hilarious you can’t bring yourself to slow down. Thankfully, you’ve reached your destination. You pull in for a stop at an abandoned toy store.

“Toys? What the fuck?” Vantas spits out as he stumbles onto the parking lot, “Are you planning a surprise birthday party for a child in the apocalypse?”

“Something like that,” You say as you jump up the curb and push open the doors, “It’s complicated alright?”

None of the lights are working, but a good amount of light is coming in from the windows. The shelves are lined with dust and cobwebs, but also full of toys completely untouched. Vantas sticks close behind, nervously scanning the room. “Nothing about this is simple! I’m a mutant freak who isn’t even supposed to be alive, saved by some obtuse lunkhead in fucking sunglasses even in the dark for gog knows what reason! And now we’re going leisure shopping!! Oh how fun!!!”

“You bet your ass, this is the fun express,” You pull a can of silly string off a nearby shelf and unleash it upon the shorter troll. He knocks backwards, flinging his arms around trying to stop the foam flying at his face. He blindly reaches around, pulling things from the shelves to fling at you. He strings together the most beautiful series of curse words and insults you’ve ever heard, and by gog, you really should take note. This guy could be the most blessed rapper of paradox space with the way words flow from his mouth.

After pelting you with a series of random objects, one puppet manages to hit you square in the face. It’s plush ass knocking your sunglasses sideways and you stumble backwards. Vantas bursts out laughing at that, and huh. He’s pretty cute when he laughs. Wait, no. He’s some weird alien midget troll. Dave what the fuck.

You shake these intrusive thoughts from your brain as you wander the store. “I’m looking for something,” You blurt out, “To give to my bro.”

“You have a brother?” Vantas jogs up to your side, and the two of you walk down the aisles.

“Well, not really,” You scratch at the back of your neck, unsure how to explain this, “I guess he’s my kid? But in the future? My sister said she has some kind of dark psychic forces saying I’ll have a kid hundred of years in the future after all of humanity is wiped out, and I gotta stock up on shit so he can raise himself or something.”

Vantas lifts an eyebrow at you, “Wrigglers can’t raise themselves.”

“Not much of a choice here,” You shrug, “Interesting that’s what you chose to call bullshit on.”

He heaves a sigh, “Well, seeing as how I grew up in hiding and talking to fucking nobody face to face for all of ever I guess it seems pretty fucked up to have a kid go through that. Without a lusus even.” 

You feel your stomach lurch, “Uh,” you reply dumbly, “Yeah. I mean… yeah… It sucks.”

Vantas stares at you, and you feel like he can see right through your shades. “Eloquent.”

“Look,” You start, backing up and running your hands through your hair, “I’m just here to like, find something, anything! To make this kid’s life less of a fucking living hell. It sucks, this kid’s gonna be fucked up for sure. And he’s gonna be MY kid, but I don’t have any say in this. I wish I could give him a normal childhood, but what passes for normal is pretty dwindled down these days. I could leave him every last toy in this damn store and it wouldn’t change a thing. I know that, but what else am I supposed to fucking do!?” You don’t know when you started yelling but when you look up you see you scared the troll pretty bad.

When was the last time you yelled at someone? You certainly learned never to do it to Rose. You were cool, and collected. Life sucked and pelted you with lemons, and you took those lemons and made some shitty hilarious movies. But when you think of your brother, growing up alone, in the future. Well… It just felt a little too shitty.

Vantas is still looking wide eyed at you, before furrowing his eyebrows and biting his lip. He looks a little guilty, great, you didn’t mean to be a complete ass. You shift your weight on your feet and look away, grateful your sunglasses are hiding you right now.

Before you can apologize a stuffed pony doll gets shoved in your face, “How about this?” He stares earnestly at you, “Give him this.”

“... That’s a fucking pony, dude,” You shove it away from you, “Friendship is magic bullshit.”

“So?” He scowls, “You said he’s going to be the last of humanity. I’d say he’s going to need some fucking friendship.”

You hold back your laughter from that. You’re fucking angry right now, but Vantas has a pretty good point. You snatch it away and shove it in your sylladex. Suddenly, the building shakes and a loud rocket noise roars overhead. You crouch a bit, looking to the windows, while Vantas completely loses his shit and ducks for cover. Some drones fly by, just on patrol. You make eye contact with Vantas, and jerk your head towards the back exit. He follows as you lead the way out, opting to stay in the shadows and back alleyways of the city.

You have no idea why you’re letting him follow you, if anything this guy is suspicious as hell. He seems sort of slow too, so kind of dead weight. But somehow, every fiber of your being is screaming at you, “Don’t lose him,” And for some reason, he seems pretty desperate to follow you too.

You snake along the buildings for a while, but as the sun lowers so does your chance of being spotted. You kick out your skateboard again and take Vantas for a ride. You ignore the way he leans into you, the way he presses his face into your shoulder, so vulnerable and trusting. You definitely do not speed up to make him cling on tighter, all the way back to your apartment complex.

 

\---

You kick open your door, and begin emptying out your sylladex on the floor. Mostly just junk, you should organize it, and remember to put more medical supplies in. Vantas looks in nervously from the doorway, but his expression melts into disgust once he sees your apartment. It’s not THAT filthy, just a little messy. You’re a busy guy, ok? “Hey shithead, with all the crap lying around you could have made a decent pile instead of just a scattered mess of trash.” He says with no real venom. He cautiously sits on the couch, as if wondering it’s ok.

You roll your eyes and walk towards the kitchen. “Whatever you said, dude, doesn’t make any sense,” You dig through the freezer, “Hey do trolls eat Totinos?”

“What the fuck is that?”

You shrug and dump all the frozen pizza rolls onto a plate and shove it in the microwave. Bam. What a fucking good host you are. But it’s not like you could compare the experience, it’s not like you really ever had any guests over before. You wonder if it’s ironic that in such a short amount of time you’ve gotten closer to this alien troll than you have with most of the humans in this city. The microwave dings and you bring the plate over to Vantas.

It turns out he’s not really a picky eater. It seems like he’s been surviving on rummaging through trash cans, and the godly pleasure that is Totinos is heaven sent for him. You eat slowly, letting him finish off the plate. It also turns out, he really fucking loves movies. Apparently he stole a laptop when he was young, and that was his source of entertainment and education growing up. You can see him visibly redden when you poke and prod him for his knowledge on your movies. He’s seen them all.

At his request, you put on some trashy romcoms, and spend most of the movie loudly arguing about the value of scenes and characters. This guy is fucking hilarious, he wholeheartedly believes in these shitty romances these bad actors and actresses put on. It becomes clear this guy has never been in a relationship in his life. Then you feel kinda guilty for thinking that because, oh yeah, he’s the only one of his kind. How could you forget that? It just feels so normal to be around him. You joke about adding a romantic subplot in the next SBHJ movie, maybe even a celebrity cameo for ironic purposes. He growls at you and threatens to personally strangle you if you ruin the sanctity of Will Smith’s acting career.

Before you know it, Vantas is nodding off, leaning on you. Somehow as the two of you argued, you got closer on the couch. You feel bad for the guy, he had eye bags as big as his big mouth. He seems like he hadn’t gotten a good night’s sleep in forever. You reach over and pull him towards you, surprisingly he slumps against you without much resistance. 

You hand lingers on his shoulder, and you think, what the hell. You run your hands through his hair. It’s stiff and to be honest, kind of gross, but you lightly scratch at his scalp and lightly tap his horns. He stirs for a bit and you think oh shit, too far, too creepy, but then he starts straight up purring. He scoots closer to you and completely drapes himself on your lap, purring louder. Huh, just like a cat.

You sit there, wondering, why this all feels so gog damn familiar? You feel a prickle behind your eyelids and think nope, no, no tears. Why would you cry? Why does it feel like you found what you were looking for, when you didn’t even know you were looking? You look down at Vantas, curled in your lap. His breathing is slow and even, and you feel like this is all right.

“Good night, Kittykat,” You smirk.


	2. Chapter 2

“Gimme the pen,” An all-too-familiar voice says a bit gruffly. He sounds strained.

“NO,” You yell back.

“Yes.”

“NO!” 

“Yes.” The two of you exchange back and forth.

Eventually, your frustration wins out in the end, and you simply want out of this childish battle. “FINE! Take it!”

“No,”

You jerk your heard back, “WHAT??” You scream. You try to pull back your hand, but there’s a firm grip over it. The two of you are scribbling on pages of an old book, and he’s forcing pressure onto your arm.

“We’re still drawing.” He says calmly, and although he tries to keep his expression stoic, the corners of his lips turn upwards. Why do you remember his lips in such detail?

“LET GO!” You struggle and struggle, but he is determined to keep you two pressed together, pen to the paper.

“Are you kidding, this is a fucking masterpiece we have to see this through.” He’s fucking with you now, fueling your anger. There are so many dicks scribbled on the page now, it’s like the equivalent of a schoolwriggler’s notebook filled with quadrant signs.

“I’M TRYING TO LET GO OF THE STUPID PEN, BUT YOU WON’T LET ME!” You yell out, snarling at this point. 

“We are in the shit now,” He says stubbornly, “We are motherfuckin entrenched in this bitch.”

“YOU CRAZY FUCK!!” You yell out. 

You struggle, moving your limbs wildly, before you have a particularly violent jerk and feel yourself falling.

 

\---

Your name is Karkat Vantas and you wake with a thud.

You blink a few times, trying to remember where the fuck you are. It looks like a really messy apartment. The dim light filtering through the window clues you in it must be early morning. You glace behind you and see the couch you fell from. On it, a certain Dave Strider snoozes away.

Oh yeah. You were royally fucked yesterday, when a drone caught you off guard. You were as good as dead before you managed to scramble away into that alleyway. You were prepared to die slowly, but then this guy showed up out of nowhere to help you for no reason. Or at least, logically, there was no reason. Somehow… it felt ok. Like you’d do the same thing for him.

You shake the last of your sleep away, never one to stay dozing for too long. That’s what a life of hiding will do to you. Although you will admit, you got a pretty damn good night’s sleep for the first time in a long time. You think back to the days when your lusus was alive, it was less lonely then. But it’s not like you were completely alone, thanks to the magic of the internet and pesterchum.

Speaking of which… You pull out your laptop from your sylladex.

golgothasTerror [GT] began bothering carcinoGeneticist [CG] 

\-- carcinoGeneticist [CG] is now an idle chum! -- 

GT: CG! 

GT: Are you there? 

GT: Helloooo? 

GT: Do get back to me when you can. 

GT: I do hope you’re just off on an adventure with a reasonable amount of danger! It feels a little strange to have such radio silence on your end, haha! 

GT: Tally-ho! 

golgothasTerror [GT] ceased bothering carcinoGeneticist [CG] 

carcinoGeneticist [CG] began bothering golgothasTerror [GT] 

CG: I’M HERE YOU GIANT BLITHERING CHILD. 

GT: CG! There you are! Heavens, where were you? 

CG: BUSY, UNLIKE YOU. SOME PEOPLE HAVE MORE PRESSING MATTERS THAN TO FUCK OFF AROUND TEMPLES AND SIT AROUND WATCHING SHITTY MOVIES. 

GT: Hey! We already established they’re not shitty! 

You roll your eyes, GT was someone you had met on an forum a few years ago. The two of you argued about the importance of romance and adventure subplots movies, and which parts were more essential to the film’s message. He had argued adventure was the point of movies, the great interest and driving point. You argued that the relationships between characters were what made movies memorable and relatable, good plots were nothing with shitty characters no one liked. The two of you went back and forth until the forum mods got fed up with the spam and banned both of you. You exchanged chumhandles and have been going back and forth about movies ever since.

GT: But seriously, enough with the evasive malarkey! Are you ok ol’ chum? 

CG: … AAUFHSDKDSSDFSDF 

GT: … 

GT: Hm… I suppose that’s not a no...? 

CG: LOOK, I JUST, I HAD A REALLY WEIRD DAY YESTERDAY. 

GT: Oh! Exciting weird? 

CG: I GOT MY ASS HANDED TO ME BY A DRONE. 

GT: Gadzooks! You did give him a run for his money at least? 

CG: NO, JACKASS, TURNS OUT A GIANT MURDER ROBOT IS NOT THE EASIEST THING TO TAKE DOWN. HE ALMOST KILLED ME BEFORE I MANAGED TO DIVE INTO AN ALLEYWAY LIKE SOME PATHETIC WOOFBEAST WITH HIS TAIL BETWEEN HIS LEGS. 

GT: Oh CG, you and your silly nonsense names never fail to amplify your stories! But jee, do you think I could take on a drone? They sound like an awful good partner to get into fisticuffs with, aside from the murder. This island is great for adventuring, but the city sounds like a much more rowdy place! 

CG: GT YOU’D GET CULLED SO FAST THEY’D HAVE TO RECONSIDER THE TRUE SPEED OF LIGHT. NOTHING ABOUT DRONES ARE GOOD, GET THAT THROUGH YOUR THICK CHILDISH ADRENALINE-JUNKIE SKULL. 

GT: Oh come now! I’m not THAT much younger than you, or at least, I think so? You’re so friggin mysterious CG! Not even letting me in your name! 

CG: I’M IN HIDING BULGEWIPE, IT’S DANGEROUS. 

GT: Yes, yes… your mysterious circumstances and all! So I’m assuming you’re safe now? 

CG: ERR… I THINK SO? HONESTLY, I’M IN A STRANGER’S APARTMENT. 

GT: Heavens! *loosens collar a bit* CG… 

CG: SHUT THE FUCK UP. IT’S NOT LIKE THAT YOU FUCKING MORANIC PILE OF WRIGGLER EXCREMENT. A GUY JUST FOUND ME BLEEDING OUT AND HELPED ME, THAT’S ALL. 

GT: Aw shucks! That’s great news! 

CG: NOT SURE HOW TO FEEL ABOUT YOU TAKING JOY IN MY NEAR DEATH SITUATION. 

GT: No! Not that part, I meant you seem to have made a pal! A reliable bro! 

You peer over the top of your laptop at Dave, who is still sleeping. Is he a friend…? You’ve only known him for a day. It seems like too much at once. But then again, you’ve never been in another being’s home before. It feels strangely intimate, too much for a stranger.

CG: HM. MORE THAN RELIABLE HE’S. HM… 

GT: ? What? 

CG: HE’S ANNOYING AS FUCK. 

GT: Hahaha, but that’s what good bros are sometimes! It’s like my bro, oh shucks, I’m not sure if I’m supposed to mention him. He’s a bit secretive about himself as well.

You roll your eyes, GT has been going on about this fuck for ages. He’s terrible at keeping secrets, you don’t really care to remember most of his trivial facts about his “best bro”, but it seems blatantly obvious he has a crush on him. You decide to keep the identity of your mysterious benefactor a secret. No sense in getting the movie addict excited over a hot shot director and risk exposing yourself.

CG: WHATEVER, IT’S NOT IMPORTANT. I’M JUST OK NOW ALRIGHT? 

GT: Well that’s splendid news to me! 

CG: OH FUCK, I THINK HE’S WAKING UP. I GOT TO GO. 

carcinoGeneticist [CG] ceased bothering golgothasTerror [GT]

You shut your laptop quickly and shove it back into your sylladex. Dave prompts himself up on his elbows rubbing at his eyes. Before you can see him open them, Dave drops his shades over his face. What a fucking weirdo.

“Hey,” He says cooly, his voice gruff from the morning. 

“Hey,” You reply, relaxing a bit as he gives a half smirk at you. You wonder about him. You know bits a pieces of the legendary Dave Strider, successful movie director and rebellion leader. You expected someone serious and heroic, but the Dave sitting in front of you seems like an overgrown child. He’s bigger than you, but doesn’t seem that much older, maybe a young adult? You’re not sure, but his face is smooth of wrinkles and his lanky arms and legs look toned and strong. He doesn’t seem like any of the cool myths made him out to bed, he just looks like a dude.

He stretches his arms over his head and gives an exaggerated yawn. He scratches at his back before swinging his legs over the side of the couch and getting to his feet in one smooth motion. He walks towards a door in the corner of the room and opens it. It’s the ablution block. 

You take the opportunity to search the apartment. There are cords everywhere, and random things scattered about. Low quality JPEG artifacts, puppets, CDs, robot parts, and even some awards for his movies are lazily strewn about. You shake your head and make your way towards the kitchen. It seems neat enough, although the crazy bastard has fucking swords lying everywhere. You suppose it would come with being a revolutionary. The fridge is depressingly empty, only some bottles of orange juice seem to be properly stocked. The cabinets are empty too, save for some coffee beans.

You take those out and find a shitty coffee maker. After jamming the buttons with some frustration, you finally get the thing to work, and set out two mugs that look clean enough. Dave walks out of the ablution block ruffling his hair with a towel. He looks ridiculous with his shades fogged up from shower steam. 

“So,” You open with, sitting across from him and drumming your claws along the side of your coffee, “What’s on the daily schedule of the infamous Dave Strider?”

He takes a sip quietly, seeming to calculate his answer. “Nothing much,” He shrugs, “If you haven’t noticed, I’m sort of away from the limelight at the moment.”

You squint your eyes and think about it, yeah, SBHJ hasn’t had a new movie in it’s series in awhile. Patrons on the internet seemed to believe Dave was busy working on something great, the ultimate masterpiece in the works. But come on, that shit probably took a day to film. Tops.

“... Do you want to go out and find something to eat?” You ask.

He downs the rest of his coffee and sets it back on the table. “Hell yeah,” He rolls his shoulders and cracks his neck, “We can blow this popsicle stand… After you take a shower. No offense dude, but you smell like trash.” Your face burns hot and you feel yourself snarl instinctively. To be fair, you were living in literal garbage cans. You bandages could use some changing too. You sigh and sit up, making your way towards the ablution block.

 

\---

“So what was it like,” Dave asks, “Being raised by a big monsterdad?” The two of you are walking through some sort of underground mall built by people in hiding. There were a few people you run into, here and there. Every time you jumped out of your skin and pulled the hoodie Dave gave you tighter to cover your face. But every time Dave simply gave a nod, or a wave, and his fans simply gazed in admiration and watched the two of you leave. It seemed like he has a lot of respect.

“I don’t know,” You sputter, “I guess like being raised by a human dad? Except he can’t talk, and you have to feed him and make sure he doesn’t choke accidentally eating your things.”

“See, that’s already pretty different,” He snorts, the two of you finally make your way closer to the foodblock, “But I wouldn’t know. I grew up in an orphanage.” Dave stops suddenly and guides you towards a corner of the hallway. He makes a motion for you to stay out of the way, and walks into the more crowded foodblock. You hear some voices, and some cheers. You sway on the balls of your feet, trying to look inconspicuous as other humans pass by. Dave returns shortly after, carrying two big plates of food and a plastic bag. He drops one in your hands and pushes on your back, guiding the two of you out of the tunnels.

“I was thinking of building him some robots,” He says casually, “My future bro I mean, so they could like, raise him. Maybe even protect him? Help him grow strong with training? But I don’t know too much about parental figures.”

You bristle against the outside wind. The sun is a little too bright for your eyes, but nothing worth complaining about. The two of you make your way to a park tucked in-between some buildings. You settle on a bench under a dead tree. “Sounds like a pretty shitty idea perfectly ripe to go wrong,” You shovel some food into your mouth, “Don’t fucking build him some drones to terrorize him.”

“Dude, I won’t,” He shrugs his shoulders, “At least. I’ll try not to.”

The two of you eat in comfortable silence. “I could help you,” You offer, helping Dave seemed like a reasonable thing to do. It gave you a goal, instead of wandering aimlessly trying to survive for the sake of survival.

He turns to you, smile breaking his stoic face. “Sweet, man, we’ll be like Marty Mcfly and Doc together! Building shit, having crazy adventures.” He nudges you rougher than he means to, and you drop your eating utensil, “Obvious I’m Marty in this comparison, because I’m the cool kid, you’re the orny crazy old man who yells a lot-”

“For the love of gog, Dave will you shut up!?” You yell back, and you reach out to snatch his eating utensil from him. He immediately reaches out and grabs it back, his hand over yours. The two of you tussle, as he pins you down to the bench, trying to get his utensil back. He’s bigger than you, but you don’t give up, and manage to wriggle out of his grip. The food that was lying on both of your laps has ended up on the ground or smeared on both of your clothes between you. Your growling only seems to make his smirking wider.

You kick his legs, he pushes your face, you shove his chest, he licks your hand, you yelp in disgust but don’t release your grip. “YOU CRAZY FUCK!!” You yell out.

He freezes at that, and you do too. Shit, maybe you were a little too loud. He lets you go and rises to his feet. You can’t see his face, and you wonder if you messed up somehow. He brushes off his T-shirt and jeans, and takes a moment to collect himself before turning back to you, “Shall we go?” He asks smoothy, as if he wasn’t covered in mustard and potatoes and had hot sauce running through his hair. You scoff a little, what an idiot. You definitely don’t think he’s cute as you follow him back to his place.

 

\---

Back at his place, he sets out little bits of metal and wires. They seem to be bits of broken drones, and you realize how terrifyingly strong and controlled Dave must be to have perfectly sliced pieces of robot for you guys to work with. He shows you some designs he worked on, they all look ridiculous and stupid. Robots don’t need hats. 

“Dude you’re forgetting the point,” Dave taps the blueprints with the back of his hand, “These guys are gonna be his bros. Or as close to a bro as he can get. They have to look sick as shit and set a good example.” You glare at him, but keep your protests to yourself. This isn’t your wriggler you guys are preparing for anyway.

You don’t know much about robots, but you do know a little bit about coding. Well, mostly coding viruses, but you can make your keyboard go clicky clacky. “Sick as shit as in… you’re going to have built in rap functions?”

His entire body lights up at that, and he has some goofy smile on him. “Hell. Yeah.”

The two of you work for a while, mostly arguing on what part goes where and what ideas are necessary and what are just completely stupid. 

By the time the sky is dark out, and the drones have their searchlights on, you and Dave have accomplished very little. But he doesn’t seem to mind. The two of you eat the food Dave brought back, while watching a movie. It’s a serious one you love, and you get the feeling Dave is interested too. It’s about a couple who forcibly forgot each other, and one runs through his memories trying not to forget her. Somehow the idea of forgotten memories itches at your thinkpan. Which doesn’t make sense, you have a great memory.

Once the movie is over, Dave sits up, “Hey, I think tonight I’ll actually sleep in my bed.” You sit up too.

“Oh ok,” You bite your lip, trying to hide your disappointment, “... Are you going to take the blanket? Granted I slept in worse conditions but-”

“You can sleep in it too, stupid,” You whip your head up to look at Dave. You try reading his expression but his shitty shades get in the way. You swallow back your nervousness, what the fuck are you even expecting. The cooldouche just only has one blanket.

“Ok.” You manage to say without choking. You follow him back to his room, cautiously looking around. It’s too dark to see much, and you’re too nervous anyway. Just staring at that elevated platform. Dave throws the blanket on top and jumps on the mattress. He prompts himself up on his elbow and pats the space next to him, clearly baiting you closer. You roll your eyes and stomp towards him.

You shove him closer to the wall, and crawl in next to him. You stubbornly face the other way, and try not to think about how warm your back feels against his. You think about how you used to never sleep, you never could. It wasn’t just the ever present danger of being culled on sight, it was also just a lingering feeling of… uneasiness.

Like you were missing something. Now, as you lay in darkness, back to back with Dave, you feel… at peace. Drowsiness takes over, and you feel your eyelids get heavy. You close your eyes and begin to drift off when you hear his voice one last time for the night,

“Night, Karkat.”

Huh. 

You don’t remember telling him your name, but you also remember him saying it before. You’re way too tired to think about it, though, and before you know it you fall into slumberland.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if there are any errors, if I remember correctly Jake and Jane are alive when Alpha Dave and Alpha Rose are alive. And if you’re wondering how old they are, Karkat is around the age he was in the credits, around 21 human years? I don’t know when trolls turn into adults, but Karkat is just on the edge of that. Alpha Dave is around 24 or 25. I don’t know, maybe that’s a little young but whatever.


	3. Chapter 3

You’re watching a movie together, which is hardly surprising. You’re always watching movies together. But you’re in that weird dark laboratory setting, and the two of you are younger, just barely teens. 

Your head is in his lap, and you’re pretending to be asleep. You feel his fingers in your hair. His claws lightly running across your scalp. It feels nice. Everything does. 

 

\---

You wake up in your apartment, to the sounds of Karkat in the kitchen. Your name is Dave Strider and you really need to stop dreaming about Karkat. 

You groan and press your palms against your eyelids. It’s been a few weeks since you stumbled upon the troll in the alleyway, and took him in. You don’t even remember questioning it, he’s made himself at home too. The floor is visible now, things are put away and more organized. Your shelves are now bursting with movies titles, and even romance novels. You have an excessive amount of money, so you thought why not, and indulged Karkat’s hobbies. He was so happy, he said he always wanted more.

You don’t mention how you could easily afford another blanket, or another bed for that matter.

You hear a string of curses from the kitchen and sit up. Karkat has been interested in cooking lately, although he sucks shit at it. There’s not much in the way of fresh ingredients in the dictatorship of fish hitler, but both of you make do. You make your way into the kitchen, sliding your sunglasses on and smelling burnt bacon and eggs. Yum.

You plop down at the table as Karkat grumbles and deposits a plate in front of you. “Thanks dear,” You tease, “I’m the luckiest dude in the apocalypse” He scoffs and loudly scrapes the bottom of the pan, burnt bits holding on for dear life. You don’t miss the slight blush in his cheeks, and smile dumbly to yourself.

You really like living with your best bro.

As you chew your breakfast you scan around the apartment. The robot you were attempting to make is still in shambles in the living room. You guess building a robot is much more complicated than just drawing it out, and Karkat was a little more than shit at programming. Shucks. Well, you make a mental note to draw a sick poster of Sawtooth and Squarewave later.

Other than that, life has settled into a nice pace. Talking to Karkat about movies has inspired you to write the script for the next SBHJ movie. Rose has been pretty quiet about her doom prophecies and dark magic. Speaking of which, you pull out your phone.

\-- turntechGodhead [TG] began bothering tentacleTherapist [TT] --

TG: yo rose 

TG: been a while since you sent me any disturbing visions 

TG: im starting to wonder if you think i cant handle it 

TT: Hi Dave, I’ve been busy. 

TG: oh shit sounds like youre up to no good 

TT: That depends on your definition of “good”, I have been busy writing my newest book, which I presume will be my final. 

TG: what rose wait 

TG: your final 

TG: have you written your grande finale 

TG: your great gay singularity in which you smack down the patriarchy with your sweet lady lovin 

TT: No, unfortunately I still had chapters planned for their slow burn to cultivate into a passionate fiery love scene, but I believe it will be the last book I have time to write.

You choke on your eggs.

TG: so… you see the end? 

TT: Yes, the end of our time. My visions cannot go past a certain point. 

TG: damn 

TT: I was planning on telling you, at a better date. 

TG: not sure if there is ever a better date for the end of the world news 

TT: Yes, but certainly not while you are on your honeymoon.

This time you spit out your orange juice all over your phone. Karkat lifts a brow at you, questioningly. You turn away from him and type furiously.

TG: what 

TG: who told you 

TG: i mean the fact i got a roommate not the honeymoon part 

TG: there is no honeymoon 

TG: no honeymoon to tell you about 

TT: Dave, please. What did I tell you about your dreams. 

TG: youre always saying shit like im attracted to cute dudes just because i dream about being bros with someone 

TG: and im just saying why do you have to look at it like that 

TG: cant a dude have platonic dreams of being best bros with another dude 

TG: playing childrens games and wrestling and cuddling 

TG: and maybe like entering make out territory once in a while 

TG: without it being all like 

TG: oh bluh bluh im so in love with this dude rose 

TG: i feel so safe and myself around him 

TG: like hes my soulmate ive been looking for 

TG: maybe you should look at yourself rose 

TG: maybe youre insecure about your boundaries with your bros 

TG: or ladies 

TG: whatever 

TG: i mean did you ever think about that?? 

TT: … 

TG: … 

TT: … Are you finished? 

TG: … fuck… 

TT: I was wondering how far you’d go, I wasn’t expecting soulmate to show up so quickly though. 

TG: ok but look 

TG: shut the fuck up 

TT: So who is this mystery man?

You give up and rest your forehead against the table. You wait for the horrorterrors themselves to swallow you up in shame. You have no idea how to explain this. There’s a gog damn alien troll in your kitchen, making bacon and eggs in a perfect picture of domestic bliss.

TG: his name is karkat 

TT: Karkat? That’s an interesting name. 

TG: not really 

TG: its a pretty normal name 

TG: for like 

TG: an alien troll 

TT: … 

TG: … 

TT: Dave are you telling me you are not only pinning after a man, but an alien troll? 

TG: uhhhhhhhhhhhh

\-- turntechGodhead [TG] blocked tentacleTherapist [TT] --

You throw your phone on the table. What a stupid idea, messaging Rose first. It’s like you saw a sign that said, walk in here to be thoroughly owned, and waltzed right in like a chump. What the fuck does she know, besides like, everything because she’s a psychic goth wizard. Ugh.

You feel a nudge at your shoulder and look up. Karkat is looking at you with concern in his eyes. Gog, you love him. You love him? You’re suddenly not sure of anything anymore. The end of the world was to be expected, but falling in love? Shit, you have no idea how to handle that. Worst of all, you know you have a limited amount of time left now. Should you tell him? 

Karkat begins to pap the your forehead. He makes a soft chirping noise. You close your eyes and lean into it. “I hope you never have to meet my sister, dude.” You say laughing a little.

 

\---

It’s your average night. No moon, slightly foggy, perfect to sneak around in. You haven’t been hunting down drones in a while, Karkat is highly against it, but their numbers have been growing too much for comfort. You decide to just hunt out a few, enough to keep the streets safer, but not enough to cause alarm for backup. You grip the sword you have at your waist.

You jump from rooftop to rooftop, like a gog damn ninja, keeping your blade close. Maybe being forced to stay inside your apartment for most of your life has given you an overactive imagination, and maybe you are indeed, a weeb. But hey, you feel cool at least.

You pick off ones that patrol alone. Ones that wander through smaller streets, looking for their next victim. You work methodically, cleanly. You slice through their chest at just the right angle, hacking through their motherboards in one swoop. Haha, hacking. You’ll tell that joke to Karkat later.

You’re so preoccupied with your thoughts you don’t notice that the patrol patterns changed. A drone manages to strike through a good chunk of your arm before you pull away. You drop your sword and grab at the gash, trying to stop from losing too much blood. Oh shit.

 

\---

You stumble in through the window from the fire escape. You’re cold, your shirt is wrapped around your arm. You feel dizzy.

“DAVE!”

You hear Karkat’s voice as you start to black out.

It’s a couple hour later until you wake up again. Karkat must have dragged you to bed. You look down at your arm and see it’s wrapped in clean bandages. You see a mess of thread and needle on the side table and assume Karkat must have given you stitches. He’s kneeling by the bed you two normally share, sleeping with his hand in yours.

You give him a little squeeze. He jumps and lifts his head, staring at you with his big puppy dog eyes.

“Hey,” you say softly.

“Don’t ‘hey’ me you sack of shit,” He growls out, “You scared the fuck out of me.”

“It’s fine-”

“NO IT’S NOT!” He snarls at you, his sharp teeth exposed. You jump a little, you haven’t seen Karkat mad like this since maybe when you first saw him. He’s practically shaking with anger. “If I wasn’t here you’d probably be bleeding out on the living room floor!”

“Better than in the garbage in the alleyway though, right?” You joke a little. He doesn’t seem impressed. He stands and leans towards you, and you think he might hit you so you brace yourself.

He throws himself at your lap.

He’s squeezing your middle a little too tight, but you’re too stunned to move. You only move when you hear soft sobs, curling yourself around Karkat.

“I’m sorry, shit, really, I fucked up,” You stumble over your words, “I’m sorry I scared you buddy.” You pat soothingly on his back, trying your best to imitate his cooing noises he does when you’re sad. He always snorts at your impressions, but you think he appreciates it.

There’s a beat of silence as the two of you sit together.

“Why do you have to do it?” Karkat asks, voice muffled in fabric.

You run your fingers through his hair, “Do what, Karkitty?” you hum. He raises his head to look at you.

“Why do you have to be the one to save the day?”

You bite your lip, you don’t even know what expression you’re trying to hide under your shades this time. “Because,” you start, “... Because what else am I good for?”

Karkat’s face falls. “It’s not fair…” He mumbles, “Someone else should hunt these stupid things, someone else should fight these impossible battles. Why does it always have to be you in danger?”

“Someone’s got to be the hero right?” You laugh with no energy behind it. Somehow, Karkat seems to know that behind the facade and the legends, you really do hate fighting.

“We could run away,” Karkat practically pleads. You feel a knot in your stomach, was that a confession…? No, you push it down and shake your head.

“I can’t, Rose, and all these people,” you say, “I can’t just leave them.” He looks crushed, and you feel a bit guilty for that. He nods slowly though, letting his head hang low. You rub circles over his knuckles. He has a lot of scars criss-crossing over his hand. You know he didn’t start any fights either, he could barely fight back. “It’s not in vain, you know.”

Karkat looks at you questioningly. “I know if I kill these drones, she’ll send new ones. I know that with every shitty movie I make, it won’t give people the strength to overthrow her.” You look down, even with your shades you can’t look at him, “But, I just have a feeling. It won’t be forever. Even if I die-” Karkat grips you tighter at that, “... There will be others.”

Karkat looks up at you, “Like your brother?”

You nod, “But not just him. I think… there’s a reason for all of this.” You don’t know how to explain it, but you have a feeling. You’re also doing this for yourself, and for Karkat. You feel it in your core.

Karkat waits for more, but you don’t have any more words. He sighs and leans against your good arm. You pull him close and rest your cheek against his head. Despite everything, a soft purring comes from the troll. You feel it vibrate through you, and you feel like one being. One complete being, pressed together.

And in this moment, you feel like everything’s worth it. Lying in the dark, in a small space, but still pressed together as close as you can. You listen to the noises Karkat makes, he’s so expressive. You love that about him. You didn’t know how hard it was to play the hero before, when no one else saw you as anything but that. You didn’t know how much of you this troll could expose, you wonder if you really have anything left.

Squeezing him tightly, you wish you could give him everything.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> for some reason, I thought alpha dave made sawtooth and squarewave for dirk, but I guess dirk made them himself LMAO! whatever, now dirk got inspiration for them from dave. dave did have the poster of them in his room. idk. as you can see I'm clearly making this up as I go!


	4. Chapter 4

You’re holding his hand, and spinning around wildly. The two of you have so much pent up energy, it’s like you guys were stuck indoors for years. He’s smiling wildly, unguarded and open. His hands are warm like yours, and you never want to let go.

 

\---

You wake up with your arms around the body next to you. His warmth and scent all too familiar to you by now. You go against your better judgement and curl closer to him. 

Your name is Karkat Vantas and you really shouldn’t be this close to Dave Strider.

 

\---

GG: Hoo hoo! Sounds like someone’s in love!

You stare at your laptop screen, as if the intensity of your stare could melt it.

CG: THAT’S FUCKING STUPID. 

GG: Is it though? 

CG: YES IT IS, THERE IS NO WAY I COULD BE IN LOVE WITH HIM. 

GG: >:B 

GG: Well, what about the fact Jake and I have hardly heard anything from you that wasn’t about him? 

CG: GT IS AN IDIOT TOO. 

CG: AND WHAT THE HELL, DON’T YOU KNOW NOT TO GIVE OUT YOUR REAL NAMES ON THE INTERNET? 

CG: THERE’S A LOT OF FUCKING WEIRDOS OUT THERE. 

GG: Oh bother! You and these screennames! You don’t seem any more weird or dangerous than my Poppop! 

CG: YOU’D BE SURPRISED. 

GG: Hoo hoo!

You claw at your face. If only they knew.

GG: Anyway, it’s still true! 

GG: Jake even complains his movie buddy has abandoned him! 

CG: OH PLEASE, GOG, TELL ME HE IS *NOT* SAYING THAT. 

GG: Yes, it’s making some of us jealous to be quite honest. 

CG: ??? 

GG: Oh, no! Not so fast, buddy! This is about you! 

GG: Why are you so against the idea of being in love with your best friend?

You hesitate your fingers over your keyboard. There’s probably a billion reasons why it’s stupid. You’re an alien, you’re the only mutant alien of your kind, he’s older, he’s a revolutionary against an insane dictator, he’s got a weird hero complex which probably has something to do with his obsession over his eyewear in which you have also never seen his eyes, you constantly worry he’s going to get his dumb ass killed, and his sister seems like a satan worshipper. 

You look back over your list.

CG: HE’S OLDER. 

GG: Now that’s just a silly excuse! You said he wasn’t that much older! 

CG: LOOK, IT JUST WOULDN’T WORK OUT. TRUST ME. 

GG: No! You look here, mister! You don’t give yourself enough credit, CG. I think despite what you say, you already are sort of a “thing” with him! 

CG: NO, GOD, FUCK NO. 

GG: Hoo hoo! 

GG: :) 

\-- carcinoGenecist [CG] ceased bothering gustyGumshoe [GG] --

You lean back on the couch, groaning. You look over towards Dave, who is huddled over his desk. He seems to be engrossed in editing his newest work. His hair is still messed up from sleeping. He picks his nose without thinking. Gog, you love this idiot? You bang your head against your keyboard.

“You ok over there, Karkat?” Dave asks from his desk.

You groan in reply. You hear Dave’s chair shuffle, and he walks closer to you. You feel the couch dip next to you, and you finally lift your head to look next to you. There’s Dave. Poker face and all.

“You wanna go out?” He asks bluntly.

… Huh? You feel like your brain short circuited.

“Karkat, hey,” He snaps in front of your face a few times, “Dude I think we really need to get you out of this apartment. You’re going stir crazy.”

Oh. That’s what he meant. To be fair you and Dave have been staying inside the apartment more lately. Ever since Dave’s injury he’s been more careful. Or more like, you’re ready to unleash a barrage of screams on him when he even thinks about doing something stupid.

“Yeah, that sounds… actually nice,” You say, “I’d love to.” You regret saying that last part. Fuck. Even Dave looks surprised by your reply. But in a moment, he tilts his head ever so slightly and gives a soft smile.

“Cool.”

You’re so fucked.

 

\---

The air is chilly. It’s winter and the dead of night. You grip the back of Dave’s jacket tightly as the two of you ride through the outskirts of the city. You two usually never venture far from your apartment, but Dave insisted. It was special.

The high rise buildings lessened and lessened, until there were just a few deplitated buildings here and there lining the streets. The lack of cover made you nervous, but Dave assured you the fewer people, the fewer drones. You press your face in between his shoulder blades. You know you’d follow him anywhere, if he really wanted. Somehow that made you sort of mad.

The two of you ride until you just reach water. The beach stretches along the coast, the sound of water crashing against rocks. It’s so dark, the water is an inky blackness stretching to the horizon. But above that, the sky is clear of pollution and smog. You think you’ve never seen this many stars in your life.

“It’s… really beautiful.” You sigh.

“Yeah,” He mutters. He takes your hand and walks across the sand. You follow quietly for a while, but after watching him stumble over pieces of driftwood and rocks you lose your patience.

“Will you take off those stupid sunglasses already?” You mutter, “It’s so dark it’s not like I can see your deep dark secret anyway.” He turns to you, scoffing.

“Fat chance,” He smirks, “Part of the Strider appeal is the mystery.” You roll your eyes. If anything, the mystery part is the most irritating part of Dave. You take the lead instead, guiding him safely through the dark.

“Hey, Karkat,” He calls to you. You make a questioning noise in return. “Do you know what day it is?”

“December 2nd?” You reply.

“It’s December 3rd right now.” He says cheerfully.

“... And?” You ask, “What is that supposed to mean?”

“Why, Karkat!” He mocks an expression of exaggerated pain, “It’s a very important day, it’s the day your best bro for life was born!” He smiles big at you, squeezing your hand. You’re stunned.

“Oh, shit,” You stutter, “Gog damn it Dave! Why didn’t you tell me before!? I would have done something!” You stomp your foot for emphasis, it’s Dave’s birthday and you didn’t even know.

He waves his hand as if dismissing the idea, “Nah, it’s fine. I always kind of forget about it anyway. I usually don’t do anything, but since you’re here this year…” He trails off. You feel yourself blush a little. Does that mean you’re special? “Yeah... it feels like the nicest birthday of my life.”

He squeezes your hand. You squeeze back. “Still… do you want anything?” You ask, “Anything reasonable I can offer on such short notice?”

He looks down at you, and you wish he wasn’t wearing those stupid shades. “That’s… That’s a loaded question.” He says awkwardly. He bites his lip and runs his hand through his hair, smoothing it back. You tilt your head in confusion, and he just laughs at you. “Nothing! Nothing, don’t mind me, Karkat. You give me a lot already.”

You pout and look away. You figure you shouldn’t fight with Dave on his birthday. You stare out at the ocean. The batterwitch is going to flood the place soon. You force yourself not to think about it right now.

“There is something…” Dave mumbles. You turn to him again, perking up. “Can I, uh, tell you something?”

“Of course, idiot.”

Dave lets go of your hand, and fiddles with his fingers. You give him time to collect his thoughts. He seems to be choosing his words carefully, you know if he doesn’t he blurts out everything thing he’s thinking. To your surprise, he reaches up and lifts his sunglasses off his face. He looks you directly in the eyes.

Red.

You’ve never seen a human with such beautiful red eyes before. Was he a mutant of his kind too?

“Karkat,” You snap out of your trance. Oh gog, is he going to say what you think? Oh jegus, what the fuck. You brace yourself.

“I… think I knew you. Before we met.”

Well. That wasn’t what you were expecting… But somehow, it doesn’t sound out of nowhere.

“I have all these memories, of us, but like… not us? And we’re in this dark laboratory looking place-”

“Wait,” You interrupt, “Are you wearing a stupid cape in these dreams?”

He looks startled and his face flushes red, and you think oh. It really is nice being able to see his full expressions like this.

“Yeah… I’m like a red superhero, only I wasn’t going to mention it because I thought that was really fucking stupid and my own ego speaking-”

“I think I have the same memories,” you cut him off. The two of you stare at each other now. Somehow, it’s so obvious. There’s no way you could let yourself be swept away so easily, you had to have known Dave Strider all along. “I didn’t know why… but maybe… we knew each other? In a past life?”

“Or lives,” He supplies too quickly, like he’s been thinking it too, “... Gog, Karkat, we’re watching too many of your romcoms aren’t we?”

“No, I think that sounds right.” You say honestly.

“Oh, cool,” He licks his lips nervously, oh gog, all those memories of his lips come flooding back to you. You think you remember why you care so much about his lips. “So I’m not totally crazy, good to know.”

You step towards him, still looking into his eyes. “Do you… do you remember everything?” You ask cautiously. He raises his eyebrows, and a deep blush sets over his face. 

“What, uh,” He shifts on his feet, “What exactly… were you thinking…?”

This lanky evasive shithead. He knows exactly what you’re talking about. “... How about I show you?”

Dave lights up at that, without his glasses he’s suddenly so much easier to read. You close the distance between the two of you, and you’d normally be embarrassed by your boldness except Dave looks like he wants it too. He pulls you close and you stand on your tip toes, trying to reach him. He wastes no time leaning down, stopping an inch before your face. He seems to freeze in place.

With a huff of exasperation you press your lips to his.

It doesn’t quite feel like fireworks, like movies had led you to believe. It feels like warmth, like you feel waves throughout your body. Being this close to him, kissing him, you think, what the hell were you doing wasting your time before this? This kiss doesn’t last long, and it doesn’t go deeper. When you pull away you feel your face on fire, and the two of you are acting like schoolwrigglers blushing over prom. But also, it feels like a thousand memories were leading up to this moment, and it’s a bit overwhelming.

“Hey, uh,” Dave smiles, and for once you can finally see it in his eyes, “Can I get a memory refresher on that?” 

You smirk at that, and pull him close again. Over and over.

It feels familiar, and like something you knew you’d like, but at the same time it feels new. You treasure all the haunting memories of Dave and you from a past life, but more than that you treasure the memories you’re making now. The way he’s holding you, under the stars, kissing your face softly like you’re his and his alone... You think, yeah, this memory is just for you two.

 

\---

It’s almost the morning when you and Dave stumble back to the apartment. You both feel like you’re flying high, Dave hasn’t wiped that stupid grin off his face all night. He’s openly holds you by your waist, and you sling your arms over his shoulders. You’re laughing about some stupid thing, probably Dave’s face, when you realize the front door is unlocked.

Suddenly, the mood drops. Dave’s shades appear on his face faster than you can see, and he drops his sword out of his strife deck. He still holds you close, but now it’s for protection. You nod at him, and slowly press the door open.

The apartment is dim, but in the light you can see a trail of blood through your living room. A woman covered in blood lays sprawled out on the couch, drink in hand. She looks tired, but has an air of elegance and beauty. Before you can even react Dave puts away his blade.

“Rose?” He asks shocked.

Rose lifts her head slowly, looking at the two of you with a raised brow. Shit, this is Dave’s dark-gothy-demon-whispering sister. Her pale features and subtle expressions really do remind you of him. “Hello, Dave,” A small smile pulls at her lips, “This must be Karkat.”

Dave seems equally as shocked as you, and you awkwardly pull apart. Dave rubs his palms on his pants nervously, “What are you doing here, sis?”

She downs the rest of her drink, and lets her hand fall limply to the side of the couch. She sighs, as if annoyed, and closes her eyes. 

“I killed the High Chaplain of Intersteller War, Guy Fieri.” She announces.

“You WHAT.” You blurt out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was a dumbass and thought houston was the same as austin, and was surprised to find out it's actually near water when I was writing this fic! damn! homestuck teaching me shit yet again! anyway I keep updating fast, but I just get into bursts of things you know?


	5. Chapter 5

You don’t dream much that night. You don’t really get any sleep, you’re on the couch, huddling close to Karkat. You gave up your bed and your blanket to Rose, she seemed like she needed it. Besides, Karkat is unbelievably warm. You wrap your arms around him tighter, his soft purring relaxing you. Neither of you are sleeping, but you don’t have the energy to talk. You reach up and scratch the back of his head, around the base of his horns. His purring grows louder to the touch, and you feel nice. You silently wish Karkat would relax enough to fall asleep in your arms. You feel a little giddy when he actually does.

 

\---

You’re counting and inspecting ammo when Karkat wakes up. He looks confused, as if he doesn’t remember why the two of you slept on the couch. When he comes to, a hard look of resignation settles over his expression. 

“Morning,” you say.

“Morning,” he replies, you’re not used to seeing him wake up. He’s usually already awake before you wake up. “... Is that all for you?” He asks faintly.

You look down at the hundred of rounds lined up on the table. “Nah, it’s for my lil bro,” You line up another one, “He’s probably gonna need it.”

Karkat looks worriedly at you, furrowing his brow. You bite the inside of your mouth, you wish Karkat wouldn’t look like that. “I think I’m gonna call him Dirk. What do you think?” You try changing the subject.

“Hrm,” He scoots onto the chair beside you, wrapping his arms around your middle. “It’s nice. A surprisingly normal name.”

“It sort of sounds like Dave and Karkat mixed together.” You reply.

He closes his eyes, “D from Dave, R and K from Karkat… Where’d the ‘I’ come from?” He questions.

You shrug. Honestly, Dark just sounds like a fucking stupid name. “The ‘I’ is for himself. He can be whoever he wants to be.” Damn, that’s pretty good. Even if you just made it up right now.

Karkat snorts and rubs his face into your shoulder. “You’re so cheesy…” He mutters. You put down the bullet you were checking and wrap an arm around him. You press a kiss on the top of his head. 

The sun is high in the sky by now, but the shades are pulled down on the window. The sound of drones are a constant hum in the air. You know the Condense is getting irritated. She’s looking for you and Rose. Little does she know, you’re right under her nose. Rose’s dark magic gods or whatever seem to have helped mask her and your homes. Your descendants will be safe in these places as well.

Rose stumbles out of your bedroom, her hair a mess and her clothes disheveled. She presses her hand to her forehead and her expression is pretty clearly saying she’s having a terrible hangover. She squints in your direction before smirking, “I finally get to see my brother accept his sexuality and, equally importantly, admit that I was right. It’s a shame I couldn’t enjoy it under better circumstances.”

“Hey, you didn’t expect an alien did you?” You pout, “I’m still a little unpredictable aren’t I?”

“I suppose so, but that’s not exactly fair is it?” She says trailing towards the couch, “Wildcards like this are, in your words, bullshit.”

You snort and nudge Karkat out of your way so you can get up. Rose looks like she needs water and something to eat. Karkat looks at you, gripping the hem of your shirt. He seems nervous around Rose, but you suppose most normal people are. Err, alien trolls included.

“You don’t seem too shocked by it,” You say as you pat Karkat’s hand reassuringly, “I think most people would protest the idea of their brother dating an alien.” 

“Hm,” She taps the edge of the couch, back facing you, “Dave, my chat name is tentacleTherapist. I don’t have aversion to the idea of romancing aliens. In fact I’m written many scripts my editor has so sadly refused.” 

Karkat almost falls out of his chair at that, and you find yourself smirking this time. Rose collapses on the couch, her feet dangling off the armrest. She is usually so into her mysterious goth-y writer persona, but at times she lets her guard down. Despite what people think, she really can be young and silly at heart. 

“Of course Dave-fucking-Strider’s sister would be just as weird as he is,” Karkat grumbles before letting go of your shirt. He is much more relaxed now, good, there’s enough tension as is.

“Karkat,” Rose calls from the couch, “I believe you and I should get to know each other, hmm?” Ohhhh shiiiit. This could get interesting. You quickly make your way to the fridge, pulling out some leftovers and a bottle of water. You jog back around the kitchen counter to see Karkat in the living area sitting in the armchair across from the couch.

“How did you two hit it off?” Rose asks, cradling her face with her hand, looking extremely interested, “David is not usually on the market to meet people.” 

“My name’s not David,” you grumble, shoving a plate and the water into her lap before walking over to sit next to Karkat.

“We just… happened to run into each other,” He grumbles, “I’m not, uh… I mean I was supposed to… I was being hunted by a drone…” He seems uncomfortable to explain himself, you’re about to jump in until Rose interrupts.

“Karkat, somehow, the idea of my brother meeting an alien in the apocalypse is not the craziest thing for me to believe,” Rose says in between bites, “In fact, it is a welcomed idea among juggalo presidents and mass murders planned by a hack food critic. I wanted to know how you managed to settle yourself in so nicely.”

He squints a little, thinking about it. “I guess we just… fit together.”

You scratch the back of your neck, you don’t know if you should be offended that apparently you relate better with an alien than any other human you’ve met. It’s true, but still. 

Rose drapes her arm over her eyes and leans back even further, “Oh how paltry it is! Here I am, perfectly open and accepting to a partner of uncharted origins, even going as far to converse with dark forces and practice witchcraft, and no such meetings happened to me! Meanwhile my irony-obsessed brother who makes purposely atrocious movies ends up becoming a part of a sickeningly picture-perfect couple.”

“Well Rose,” You snort, “I’m sure somewhere out there there’s an alien just perfect for you too.”

She turns her head towards you and gives you a sharp look, “Not in this lifetime.”

You get a weird feeling from this line of conversation, so you choose to drop it. The three of you sit in silence, listening for sounds from outside. It’s rowdier than usual today.

“So what now?” Karkat asks, “Obviously, fish hitler is not too happy about her puppet being killed.”

For once, Rose doesn’t reply with an answer right away. Karkat is waiting patiently, but you know when Rose doesn’t have an answer, it’s usually bad. “... Dave, do you have anything to drink?” She asks, clutching the unopened water bottle in her hand. You have a sinking feeling in your gut. You hate your sister’s alcohol addiction, but you understand her need.

“Just orange soda,” you reply, “I’ve been gathering a lot to leave to my bro. He’s gonna be, like, so set on that front.” Both Karkat and Rose roll their eyes at you. Obviously they just don’t appreciate the finer things in life.

“I think we should take out those clown presidents,” Rose says suddenly, “Maybe my intentions are more fueled by revenge than logic, but letting those murder happy dictators live is getting under my skin.”

You nod. While being with Karkat has been pretty sweet, things on the outside have been too out of control, even for you. Karkat looks horrified as he looks between the two of you. You suppose he didn’t sign up for this.

“Even if you kill them, she’ll just find some other equally batshit crazy fucks to replace them!” He screeches, “You’ll just piss her off more!”

“That brings me to my next point,” Rose says stiffly, “We should take her on next.”

Karkat’s jaw drops, like he’s just heard the most insane thing ever. Which is probably true. You know you and Rose have no hope of defeating her, but you know Rose knows that too. You press your fingers to your temples, you knew this was how it was going to be. Going on a suicide mission with Rose was always the unspoken plan between you two. It was so simple and certain, until you met Karkat.

He whips his head towards you, but you don’t look up to meet his eyes, “... You’re considering this...” He says, voice slow and threatening.

“Karkat…” You don’t know how to begin with all of this. It’s futile, but everything is. This is at least something you can do, you can make a stand. Maybe, somehow, you could injure her. You could put a dent in her defenses. The world is slowly dying, and it feels wrong to just take it.

Karkat doesn’t let you finish. He stands up, and walks briskly towards the door. You hear the slam echo through the apartment. After a few more minutes you finally look up to see Rose staring at you. Her face is uncharacteristically sympathetic. You shrug. You knew this was how it was going to end.

Rose shakes her head and sighs, she points towards the door, “Go after him you idiot.”

Your whole body feels like lead, but you push yourself up anyway. You have no idea what to say to him, you don’t know if there is anything you could say, but you can’t let him leave like this. You run towards the door and are about to leave when Rose calls after you.

“Dave,” Her voice a little broken up, “I’m sorry.” 

You don’t have time to comfort her. You’re not mad at her, you know Rose is struggling too. You turn to her and lift up your shades, meeting her eye to eye. “I’m sorry for both of us,” you mutter, before dropping your shades again and running out the door.

 

\---

 

You’re careful to avoid being seen. You leave through the apartment building’s back exit, and stick to only the most remote alleyways. Today may be louder than usual, but the Condesce still has an imperfect understanding of human cities. Alien trolls can be pretty stupid, well, except Karkat. But he is pretty human most of the time.

Karkat couldn’t have gotten very far. No offense, but not only is he louder than he thinks, he’s pretty fucking slow and clumsy. Without your Unreal Air to ride, he’s pretty much stuck on the ground. You find him in a nearby abandoned factory. He’s huddled on the ground, practically shaking from the sound of drones outside. He jumps when he hears you approach, but he scowls when he sees it’s you.

“... Pretty fucking stupid of me to try running away from the one safe place in the city,” He mutters.

“It’s pretty fucking stupid to think you can get rid of me,” You laugh, “Don’t you know? Bro code, dude. We’re bros for life.” And you mean it.

“YOU’RE the one who’s going to fuck off and get himself killed, not ME,” he hisses at you, “Isn’t that some violation of the stupid ‘bro code’?” He brings his hands up to use air quotes and you can’t help but scoff at him. Karkat is pretty fucking hilarious when he’s mad, but he’s not very good at volume control. That’s especially important right now if you don’t want to get caught.

“Look,” You run your hands through your hair, “What else are we supposed to do? We’re going to die eventually, Karkat.”

He winces at that, and he looks down. “... You could stay alive with me longer…” He almost whispers pitifully. Oof, not fair. This is the quietest you’ve ever heard him, like he’s hesitant to let you hear him. You know Karkat never says things he doesn’t mean.

You walk over to him, and sit down. You nudge his shoulder lightly, trying to get him to look up at you. He sulks and pouts in the other direction. You tap his foot with yours, he moves away. You chase your foot after his and pin his foot under yours. Eventually, and predictably, it escalates into the two of you struggling in a wrestling match. 

The two of you end up breathless on the ground, you on top with your arms caging him in. He’s frustrated, his arms coming up to cover his eyes and his mouth shut tightly. You push at his elbows softly, trying to get him to look at you. He gives up and slams his arms down by his sides, glaring at you. You smile a little at how hard he’s trying to frown.

He reaches up and takes your shades off, and you don’t even protest. 

“Hey,” you say.

“... Hey,” he replies softly.

And the two of you stay like that for a while, just staring. You lean down to give him a quick peck on the lips, and on his cheek, and nose. He starts his weird alien purring again, and you smile into your kisses. The two of you lie around, just kissing. It’s stupid, thinking that this will make it better, but you feel sort of helpless. There’s not much else you can do.

“I’m so fucking glad I met you,” You say honestly. He raises an eyebrow in doubt. “No, really! You know, a couple of months ago if Rose showed up at my door being all like, ‘I killed Guy Fieri’ in her dark broody way covered in blood like some sort of badass maniac, I’d give her a high five and a, ‘hell yeaaaaaah’.”

Karkat looks at you in confusion, his purring softens. You scratch behind his ear gently to keep it going. “I would have went off on some suicide mission that same night, without a second thought. Because like, fuck, whatever right? Stick it to that batterwitch.”

He opens his mouth, about to say something, when you pat his face. Karkat is certainly a windbag, but not right now. You’re in the middle of something. “And I wouldn’t even have been sad about it, because, there’s not like I was living for much. There’s not much to look forward to when the entire world is ending, and you’ve grown up understanding this fact for so long. It just felt… inevitable.”

You sit up, and pull him into your arms. He doesn’t protest, and you can wrap your arms around his smaller frame so easily like this. “But then you came into the picture,” You nuzzle into his wild hair, your cheek bumping against his horn, “And suddenly…”

Your voice stops. Your words get caught in your throat. Hot tears prick at the corners of your eyes, and you feel a burning in your face as you try to hold it back.

“Suddenly… I don’t want to die.”

Karkat reaches up and holds your face. He stares at you with so much pity, so much understanding. You didn’t know you could care about someone as much as you do for him. You break down all your walls, all the emotions you didn’t want to confront. Tears fall down your face as you admit to yourself, yes, this sucks. This ALL sucks. You wish you could just be with him, be yourself with him, far away from any of this.

He pats your face, and coos soothingly. “It’s not fair,” He says pressing his forehead to yours, “Why couldn’t we have met sooner? Had more time together?”

You bring your hands up to run through his hair, and close your eyes. It feels nice like this. “I guess time isn’t on our side, huh?” You feel him shake his head against yours and you smile.

The two of you sit like that for a long time. It hurts to think about what will happen to Karkat when you’re gone, he could stay in the apartment longer. The Condesce doesn’t know he exists. You and Rose are the main problem. Even with her dark godly protection, it wouldn’t be safe forever. You’d just be endangering your future descendant’s chance of survival if you got caught and ruined your places. You really are a shitty person, leaving people behind. Karkat… Dirk… You hope they’ll be ok without you.

“... You might have someone to remember you in the future, but I don’t,” Karkat growls, “Will that kid even appreciate you? Gog, probably not!”

“Kids… they’re always ungrateful,” You joke, “... But come on, there’s always someone who will come after you.”

He scoffs, and you bump him lightly, “I’m being serious, it’s like, we’re all connected right? You and I… maybe we’ll meet again.”

He turns and buries his face into your shirt, “Yeah, right! When you die, you die, moron! You’re going to die, I’m going to die! There’s no poetry there! If there really is some pathetic chumps who comes after us than I really fucking hope they have a better ending than we do!”

You hold him tightly to you, as if somehow he could be apart of you so you could carry him with you always. 

“I think they will.”

 

\---

That night, you hold Karkat close. You breathe in his space, and you feel happy. You dream of the two of you, creating a new universe together. Nothing bad happens here, you’re happy, and you even have friends you can lean on. 

Rose is married to a smokin’ hot troll lady of her own, and she finishes her series of books complete with a happy ending. Her descendant is close to yours, mirroring your own bond. He looks happy, and that’s all you ever wanted for him.

You live with Karkat, quietly and peacefully just like you wanted. You go out on expeditions together, or sit on the couch watching movies like you always have. It’s simple, and you keep it just between you two.

The two of you are happy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did i just try to argue dirk as a name is somehow related to davekat? I’m a terrible, terrible davekat shipper.
> 
> Also i forgot alpha dave was known for his orange soda not juice haha. But maybe he still drank apple juice? And just left orange soda because juice wouldn’t last?? I don’t know! shrug shrug shrug
> 
> One more chapter after this 6(^^"


	6. Chapter 6

You kick your feet and throw your arms about, as if fighting something. You don’t know what, but you’re fighting off something terrible. 

It feels like you only see bits and pieces of a greater story. You followed him, of course you did. You loved him, and you didn’t tell him, and now he was leaving. But you were slow, you only saw the end of it. 

Holy shit, you feel like you can’t breathe. You see him, still and lifeless before you, and your bloodpusher hurts. It hurts and hurts and hurts. This pain is the worst you’ve ever experienced in your life. It feels like someone ripped it out and crushed it in front of you. You already feel like you’re dead when she comes for you next.

You struggle and struggle, but it feels inevitable. You keep throwing your limbs around, until you make contact with something solid.

“OOF!”

You open your eyes. The ceiling is blurry from tears and your heart is hammering in your chest.

Your name is Karkat Vantas and you just had a terrible nightmare.

You look over to your side and see Dave, face scrunched in pain. You must have accidentally hit him, oops. His face relaxes eventually, and he turns over to keep snoring away. To be honest, both of you are pretty shitty sleepers, and have gotten used to the occasional fits here and there. 

You sit up and wipe the tears from your eyes. Light filters in from between the shades on your windows. It must be mid-day. You and Dave were more nocturnal creatures, and since today was a day off for both of you, you both chose to sleep in like the lazy sacks of shit you’ve devolved into since arriving on Earth C. Well, whatever, you two have worked hard for this and anyone who disagrees can kiss your ass.

Dave snores in his sleep, and you push at him irritated, “Get up, you lazy fuck.” You say, with a hint of affection, “Do you want to waste the whole day away?”

“Dude,” He turns away, “We literally have all the time in the world. Let me sleep.”

You roll your eyes and push your pile of blankets and pillows out of your way, getting to your feet. You smother Dave with some more pillows, before feeling satisfied and making your way to the kitchen. You fiddle with your hand-held wrist crabtop on the way, checking any messages.

\-- tentacleTherapist [TT] began trolling carcinoGeneticist [CG] -- 

\-- carcinoGeneticist [CG] is now an idle chum! -- 

TT: Hello Karkat. Are you still asleep? 

TT: ... 

TT: I’ll take your silence as a yes. 

TT: I’m just taking this opportunity to inquire about your plans for tomorrow. 

TT: Kanaya informs me that you hold little importance over “wriggling days”, but I assure you 21 is a milestone age in human culture. 

TT: Although it is a bit dated since laws of adulthood no longer apply, I’m sure Dave will still find it important. 

TT: I believe it will be significantly meaningful if you showed interest in the form of a gift or gesture. 

TT: Dave might even cry from the so-called, “feels” 

TT: Wouldn’t that be satisfying to see? 

TT: Please message me back if you need some inspiration. 

TT: I would be happy to oblige if you promise to send pictures.

\-- tentacleTherapist [TT] ceased trolling carcinoGeneticist [CG] --

Ugh, Rose. How long have you spent with humans? You know wriggling days are important to them. Dave might be more lax about them, but John has those annoying parties every year. But you didn’t know 21 was a special one, what meaning does that number have? Something about being an adult? Humans may not molt, but Dave certainly seemed far off from being an adult.

You consider taking Rose up on her gift advice, but figure you don’t want to go into it right now. Honestly, you could use some ideas because you have exactly jack shit. Rose may be a snooty know-it-all, but she’s also not exactly… sentimental when it comes to Dave. She’s more… condescending. In a weird human loving way? Bluh, you’ll never understand the concept of siblings.

You consider asking John, he’s surprisingly good with gifts, but asking him feels infuriating. He’s such a dense motherfucker, and maybe you’re just a little bitter Dave STILL wears those stupid sunglasses he got from him all those years ago. Tch, you can do better. Maybe Jade? But you know you’re going to be scolded for not considering it earlier.

You hesitate, before typing in a certain username.

\-- carcinoGeneticist [CG] began trolling timaeusTestified [TT] -- 

CG: YOU. 

CG: PRETENTIOUS COOLDOUCHE #2, I NEED YOUR HELP. 

TT: #2? That hurts, Karkat. You know I have insecurities about my position in the PRETENTIOUS COOLDOUCHE ratings.

You roll your eyes, why is everyone always a sassy fuck. Everyone related to Dave Strider especially so. Honestly, you’re still not completely comfortable around this guy. He was the one who tortured Dave for all of his wrigglerhood, and just thinking about it makes you bristle. But Dave insisted this guy was different somehow. He even seemed to like him, you’re not definitely not jealous of how much time he spends with him.

CG: PLEASE, MAY PARADOX-SPACE HAVE PITY ON ME AND GRANT ME ONE CONVERSATION WHERE I DON’T WANT TO BASH MY THINKPAN IN FROM THE SHEER STUPIDITY OF MEANINGLESS BABBLE! 

TT: Wow, I’m swooning pretty hard over here. 

TT: I am just ready and willing to drop everything and devote myself to your needs. 

TT: Dave must be a real fucking masochist if this works on him. 

CG: STOP, OH GOG, JUST STOP. 

CG: I SEE WHERE DAVE GETS HIS SMUG SMARTASS FROM. 

TT: Yes, but remember, I also originated from his genes. 

TT: In a paradoxical manor, where did the smug smartass come from? 

TT: It’s turtles all the way down. 

TT: Or maybe, smug Striders all the way down. 

CG: ASDFJLKSDFSADF 

CG: OK!!!!!!! 

CG: HA HA!! HERE’S ANOTHER INSTANCE OF A STRIDER OWNING ME AGAIN! 

CG: IT’S JUST FUCKING HI-LA-RI-OUS, REALLY, I LOVE IT! 

TT: Hmm, did I break my bro’s boyfriend? 

CG: I NEED YOUR HELP ON DECIDING WHAT TO DO FOR HIS STUPID 21ST WRIGGLING DAY. 

TT: Oh. 

TT: You’re asking me? 

TT: I’m… not sure if I can offer the best advice. 

CG: WHY THE FUCK NOT? 

TT: Well… Friendships are not exactly my strong suit. 

TT: I also have a history of ruining birthdays. 

TT: Even when all my friends get high on magical candy drugs, I manage to ruin that by being a total wet blanket. 

CG: I’M GOING TO PRETEND I UNDERSTAND EVEN A TINY BIT OF THAT. 

CG: EVEN THOUGH NONE OF THAT MAKE ANY FUCKING SENSE. 

CG: FRIENDSHIP IS A HUMAN EMOTION FOR FUCKS SAKE! 

TT: Friendship is not a human emotion, dumbass. 

TT: Roxy’s better in that department. 

TT: Especially since your gesture would be romantic in nature, 

TT: Roxy would no doubt, “be all HELLS up in that shit”. 

CG: NO! I’M NOT GOING TO WASTE ANY MORE TIME WITH THIS HORSESHIT! 

CG: GETTING MY WASTECHUTE BURNED IN HER LIGHTNING ROUND FIRE PAN BULLCRAP! 

CG: YOU’RE IRRITATINGLY CLOSE TO DAVE MENTALLY AND GENETICS-WISE. 

CG: WHAT SHOULD I DO TO MAKE HIM CRY FOR HIS WRIGGLER DAY. 

TT: Man, trolls are fucked up. 

TT: You’re not aiming to make him cry. 

TT: Just like, think about something special for to him that only you know. 

TT: You two are pretty private about your relationship, there must be plenty of things the rest of us don’t know. 

TT: None of us are suited to giving you good advice about what to do, 

TT: Because frankly you are the closest to knowing what matters the most to Dave. 

TT: From what I understand, you helped Dave become a well adjusted person who recognizes his feelings instead of normalizing his traumas and hiding behind layers of irony. 

TT: You are a significant influence on his life, in a good way. 

TT: Just consider the times you spent together, it doesn’t even have to be a physical object. 

TT: I’m sure you can think of something good. 

CG … 

CG: WOW I JUST 

CG: WOW 

TT: Did I just fuck with your mind? 

CG: YEAH THANKS FUCKASS. 

CG: THANKS FOR THE SIMULTANEOUSLY GOOD AND FUCKING USELESS ADVICE. 

TT: No prob.

\-- carcinoGeneticist [CG] ceasted trolling timaeusTestified [TT] --

You hold your head in your hands. Humans. It’s so utterly frustrating to know you created them.

You begin to make breakfast, just eggs and oinkbeast meat. You figure the smell will lure Dave from his cave. You turn ideas over in your thinkpan as you pick at the food. You don’t have a lot of time to conjure up a gift, but as immortal, basically all powerful beings, there’s not much you and Dave can’t get. You dump the cooked food onto a plate, you even managed to keep the black charred parts to a minimum! Dave is so fucking lucky.

Right on cue, he drifts into the kitchen. He floats over to you with his shitty god tier powers and presses a kiss to your cheek, before swiping away the plate of food. Exchanges like this are common, the two of you do little things for each other. Affection is shared in small gestures; casual but cherished.

You follow him to the table and sit across from him. You pick up a piece of meat from his plate and munch on it. Watching him eat is a trainwreck, he shovels food into his proteinchute like a madman. He always eats as if he’s starving, like he won’t see food again after this and he needs to eat it before it disappears. You wonder if he ever had someone make food for him like this before? That thought makes you a bit sad, but you remember you’re here now. You can both cook for each other.

His hands are covered in grease as he wipes at his face. He looks up at you, face neutral. “What’s up, dude?” He asks.

“We’re going out tonight, you disgusting greasewipe.” You growl.

“Cool,” He says smiling, “It’s a date.”

 

\---

There are thousands of stars strewn across the night sky above the two of you. You were never one to care much for stargazing, but Earth C’s air is so clear, it’s really a breath-taking sight. They twinkle and dance, and you stare longingly as Dave carries you through the air and towards the ocean like you asked. You briefly hope Terezi is ok, where ever she is out there.

The wind is crisp and cold, biting at your exposed cheeks. Dave gently lets you down first, and your feet hit the sand a bit wobbly. The ocean waves roll on the shore nearby, and you can smell the salt and brine. You pull Dave down for a brief kiss. For some reason, you’re feeling like being particularly close to him tonight.

You hold his hand as you walk on the beach. The two of you usually settle for walking side by side, but you silently intertwine your fingers and revel in the fact he doesn’t pull away. It’s a nice night.

“So,” Dave starts, “any particular reason we’re here?”

You grunt in response, still watching the scenery.

“Hey,” He bumps your shoulder, “I’m being serious. You’re being pretty quiet, and that’s mad suspicious. You’re not gonna pass out holding your breath are you? I mean, quiet Karkat? It’s like the sun stopped burning, the birds stopped chirping, paradox space is all out of wack without the grace of your long ass ramblings-”

You headbutt his shoulder in annoyance, “Shh.” You hiss, “This mood is romantic as fuck, don’t ruin it.”

“Oh, yeah,” He scoffs, “You’re the king of romance here, I’m just the lowly peasant here along for the ride.”

“Fuck yes. You should bow down, you insufferable prick.”

He makes a point to stop walking, and actually lower himself to the ground in a dramatic bow. He pulls your hand close and kisses the top of it. You can practically see his wink under his shades, and you roll your eyes. He grins before pulling you down and you’re yelling before ungracefully crashing into his arms. The two of you wrestle for a bit; pushing, pulling, kicking, screaming, laughing, biting, kissing. You’re a mess of limbs and emotions, you feel like it’s never enough contact between you and Dave. But doing stuff like this gets pretty close.

Eventually, the two of you roll off each other and lay in the cool sand. Your breath comes out in heavy puffs, damn you’re out of shape. Well it’s not like you ever really were. You grip Dave’s hand next to you and get an eerie sense of deja vu. 

“Happy Birthday,” You say turning to face him.

He smiles, “Thanks, I’m a real certified adult now, Kitkat.”

“Oh please,” You say rolling your eyes, “I’ve met infants more mature than you.”

“Well, what does that make you?” Dave asks, propping up on his elbows, “You’re the one all tangled up in this “kid's” business. In fact, we’ve done some pretty inappropriate things for a “kid” to be involved in, don’t you think? Do you have a thing for younger men Karkitty-” You press your hand against his mouth. From his grimace you suspect you got sand in there, but honestly he deserves it.

“I didn’t get you a present,” You say looking away, “Sorry…”

He pushes your hand away, “‘So kay,” He shrugs, “We have a lot already.”

“Yeah, but even still,” You grumble, “I should have gotten something…”

He rolls over closer to you, and slides his shades off. He tucks them away carefully in his sylladex, and looks up at you. It’s been a while since you’ve stared into his eyes like this. Even on Earth C, where no one is chasing you and hunting you down, you find that both of you have a hard time throwing away your shields. Ghosts of demons still haunt you two, and Dave still wears his shades while you still wear your layers of grey and black. They only come off when it’s just the two of you.

“It’s fine,” He smiles, “You’re here with me.”

You make a painfully pale noise at that, and find yourself purring against your will. Ugh, it’s Dave’s birthday you suppose. He laughs a little as he pulls you in closer. You melt against him, thinking this is nice. He rubs your back and you think, why the hell not, you’ve embarrassed yourself this much already.

“I’m happy,” You murmur, nuzzling your face closer into Dave’s chest. “It feels like fucking finally, finally! I can have something nice in my gog damn pathetic life!”

“Yup,” He says, and you can feel his words vibrate through him, “And the best part? You’re stuck with me forever, dude.”

You blush and purr louder, as if your whole body is screaming at you to convey to Dave how much he means to you, in every way possible. “... Love you.” You mutter.

He rubs his face in your hair, knocking against your horns.

“Yeah,” he says, voice sounding a bit giddy,

“I love you too, Karkat.”

You’re glad and grateful you can put your feelings into words with him. As you cling onto him, you know that you guys have an infinite amount of years ahead of you to spend together, so it’s silly to worry. You guys won the game. It’s stupid to be scared that you don’t have enough time with him, that he doesn’t know how much he means to you. But something itches at you, something nags at you to treasure this. 

As the two of you lie tangled together, on an average night of many, many more to come, you feel like the luckiest person of all paradox space to be in the timeline where you can finally be with Dave Strider.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks for reading! Sorry if this ending is unsatisfying? But Dave and Karkat did mention they consider other timelines/versions of themselves to be “them”! Alpha Dave helped pave the way for Dirk, and unknowingly he was helping himself? He was helping the Dave and Karkat we know. In the end, he did contribute to a world where he would be with Karkat. Ain’t that cheesy and romantic as fuuuuck?
> 
> Honestly, writing is pretty terrifying to me but bluh bluh i love homestuck and i TRIED darned it! also sorry for my long ass pesterlogs; i wasn't aware there was a better way to format them aaaaaand i'm too lazy to fix them.


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